The final round of Emergenza shows took place in Columbia, S.C. this past weekend at the New Brookland Tavern. With an outstanding line-up full of diversity these shows proved to be not only quite entertaining, but showcased some of Columbia’s best un-signed talent of 2005-2006. The show took place on Saturday night. After a long day of sound-checks and organizing it was finally time for the beginning of the end in Columbia. Deezy Slim opened the evening with an excellent set that incorporated first-class musicianship with top-notch hip-hop lyrics. The three emcees set the bar high for the evening as they pumped up the crowd with a totally original and unique style. Division By Zero then stepped up to the battle with a rock show that is hard to define. They had intricate instrumentation, solid vocals and sweet interludes. Killeen stormed the stage with an energetic rock show that had everyone in the audience alive. They jumped around and put all of their energy into their excellent performance. These youngsters definitely have a great future ahead with their music. Hey Heidi-Rae, of Memphis, TN, put on an excellent show for their debut in South Carolina. They had strong lead vocals and an excellent rhythm section. With a female player on stage they surely defined what kind of band we like to see blow away an out-of-town crowd. Hollywood was up next. This almost 80’s hair band was extremely tight and played radio-friendly tunes that left everyone wanting more. They were one of the most professional and efficient bands of the evening. Bubba, their drummer, went home with some Sabien cymbals and was titled the best drummer of the evening by the judges. Stay tuned to their website…I foresee great things coming your way from Hollywood! Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx, of Charlotte, NC, set the audience into a trance. Lindy’s sweet and strong lead vocals were that of an angel as she sang of love, life and reality. Auction 45, of Birmingham, AL, once again were there to impress. They played songs that are guaranteed to be hits and showed South Carolina what great vocals, guitar solos, and solid rhythms were all about. David, the guitar player, once again stole the technical prize for best guitar player. His young enthusiasm and natural talent was hard to beat. Omega Theory, as usual, was awesome. They won the hearts of the judges as they played hard rock melodies. Their bass player was so tight, and the judges knew it. He went home with the Ampeg BA-112 prize for best bassist. Jemani, of Augusta, GA, once again had everyone jumping around. They had unique lyrics and presented themselves in a very creative and out-of-the-box manner. Their instrumentation was strong, stage presence off the hook and originality hard to top. They were voted number one by the other bands, which is quite and accomplishment, and went home with a copy of the Musician’s Atlas. Mind Your Head, one of the heavier rock bands of the evening, was full of energy, had tight rifts and a great rhythm section. Midnight Train, this evening’s winner of the competition in Columbia, stole the attention of the audience with their excellent Southern Rock set. They were complete with 3 guitarists, excellent keyboards and very strong vocals. Keep your eyes out for how these southerners do in Nashville’s competition this coming weekend. Long Street followed with a performance that not only had the crowd swaying, but impressed the hell out of the judges as well. With some of the best attitudes of the weekend, their friendliness and maturity showed as they ripped it up on stage. Sunnyblunder closed out the evening with a great set complete with strong keys, great guitar rifts and excellent stage presence. As Columbia’s Emergenza season came to a close, I realized that for a small city in a small southern state, it wasn’t all that bad. The bands this season were great and if you missed any of the Emergenza shows in Columbia this yea